1. Field of the Invention
The present invention related generally to plastic storage containers for transporting and storing tools or other general articles and, more specifically, to such containers which dually serve as support surfaces on which to perform work tasks.
2. The Prior Art
Portable plastic storage containers are well known consumer products. They are used for a variety of storage needs, such as the storage of work tools in a garage, or the storage of other household articles. Lightweight and with integral handles, such containers provide a convenient means not only for storing such articles, but also transporting them to remote locations for use. For example, a user may carry a container full of tools from a storage location to a remote location for use.
Typically, conventional storage containers comprise a four sided base, a lid covering the base, and one or more handles, often located at the ends of the base, which are pivotally attached to the base and which pivot up and over the peripheral rim of the lid to secure the lid to the base. U.S. Pat. No. D-319,016 shows a container of this general type; U.S. Pat. No. D-339,471 a lid of the general type; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,125,697 a latch of this general type. As will be noted, the lids of such containers are typically flat or slightly crowned on the top, and have recesses in end portions of the rim to receive the latches in a locking manner.
While such containers function well and are commercially popular, they do not afford the end user maximum utility, and certain significant uses to which the container might be put are not possible with currently available storage container configurations. The user has need, for example, for a means for organizing tools at a work site for more efficient access. A user also typically needs a work surface on which to support work articles such as lumber or pipe. In such circumstances, the user will need to additionally transport sawhorses or portable workbenches to the worksite. The inconvenience of making several trips to a work site when the storage container full of tools and a work surface is required is unavoidable with conventional products.